


Birthday Rules & Traditions

by theroomstops



Category: Bodyguard (TV 2018)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-07 08:51:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19206010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theroomstops/pseuds/theroomstops
Summary: Happy (belated) birthday, Julia Montague. David and Julia had made plans, specific plans, for her birthday. It doesn't go to plan, but sometimes that's not the worst thing in the world, either.





	Birthday Rules & Traditions

**Author's Note:**

> I'm the idiot that got (what I thought was) a cute, fluffy fic idea for Julia's birthday about 2 hours before her birthday was over. Anyway, I scribbled it down quickly this afternoon, and so here it is. It's not great, probably full of mistakes, but I couldn't let it go and so whatever.

David felt the sun warm against his neck as he walked the last stretch home. A massive bouquet of wildflowers in his right hand as he marched confidently, happy in knowing he was early enough to make sure he could set up the special birthday celebration he had planned for. Julia had insisted on keeping it low key, and private. He had been all too eager to oblige. In his left hand hung a bag filled with various confetti, sparklers, and a can of cream.

He climbed the steps quickly, after a quick hello to the downstairs guard. Flowers in hand, and bag on the floor as he unlocked the door to his home and … heard his children laughing in the next room. Surprising, since they’re not supposed to be there. It wasn’t his day until Friday. He peeked through the glass in the hallway, and saw his son’s back right in front of him and his daughter’s forehead popping up behind the sofa. He left the bag in the hallway as he locked the door behind him and walked to join them.

A strange whooshing sound covered his first attempts at a hello, and he raised his voice. “Hello!” 

Julia’s head turned in surprise, and Charlie sighed behind her as his arms fell to his side. His head dropped a bit, seemingly annoyed, before he picked up again, and turned around to face his father. The whooshing sound finally stopped. David looked at Julia, an unspoken _What the hell?_ written across his face as she nodded and smiled.

“They were stretched too thin on Vicky’s floor, and she offered to switch shifts with a colleague whose father passed this morning.” She shuffled a file, carefully putting it to the side as she continued holding his gaze. “She rang my office when she couldn’t reach you. I had a light day arranged anyway, since we had… plans… so I picked them up from school on the way back.”

“What plans?” Ella’s cheery voice boomed as she sat up, hands leaned on a foot spa. David stepped in front of the dining table, resting against a chair as he looked at the situation in front of him. A remaining stack of files still rested on Julia’s lap, a much larger, and clearly finished, stack on the sofa beside her. He looked at his son, whose hands are tangled in brown locks, clearly attempting to braid her hair to the best of his ability, and heard Ella sigh as she sat up.

“Nothing.” He said. _Except getting naked, eat take out in bed and spending the day doing a lot of things not appropriate to tell an eleven year old._ David put on his best dad-smile.

“Daddy, we’re doing spa day! Did you know it’s Julia’s birthday today?” Charlie said excitedly, still standing behind Julia.

“I did know that, actually.” His eyes shone as he looked at the woman in front of him, seemingly trying to rush through leftover work. His heart filled with appreciation for her as he checked his phone and saw 5 missed calls from his former wife as well as texts from both of them informing him of the situation. He’d been too excited as he’d rushed back from work. Instead of his usually scrolling session on the tube, he’d lost himself in a daydream. Imagining the whipped cream and the birthday present he’d bought despite her insistence she didn’t want one. He’d excused going against her expressed wishes with the fact he’d bought something they would both enjoy. He’d imagined it being put to good use, modeled in front of him and needing a wash after they’d played around with the cream. By the time his station had been announced, he’d rushed off the platform and made his journey home.

Julia smiled, and winced a bit, as Charlie pulled too hard on a parting of hair before apologizing profusely.

“I forgot the towel and the foot cream. Mummy always says that’s the best part.” Ella stood up and brushed past him, Charlie running after his sister as they headed into the master bathroom.

David laid the wildflowers on the living room table as he sat down across from her. Julia leaned over, talking quietly as she glanced back towards the bathroom.

“He’s tried to pull a braid together 14 times. I’ll tell him my hair’s too short, but he still insists. Ella’s been suffering in silence, but she also whispered that she’d fix it later if I wanted.” She looked towards the flowers, a warm smile brightening her face as she finally put the last file to the side. “They’re beautiful. You really didn’t have to.”

“I’m so sorry, Julia. I wanted this to be special. I was looking forward to it all day.” He sighed, head hanging slightly. He really had looked forward to it. The first birthday they’d celebrate together since her near death, his near death, and officially making a go of it.

“It’s just a birthday, David.” Julia eased back in to the sofa pillows, stretching lightly against it as she looked at him softly. “The kids are here now, my feet are pruning up, and your son is having his patience tested. We’ll just eat dinner at the table instead and then we’ll see about the rest.”

“Aye?” He perked up.

“They do have to sleep sometime.” Julia said, a cheeky smile resting on her lips. David smirked, unable to hold his excitement, and he leaned over to take her hand as she lowered her voice. “You’ll make it special in a different way. We’ll have our dirty day some other time.”

“Alright.” He smiled excitedly. “Alright, then we’ll have a kid-approved birthday party instead. I’ll be right back.”

“Why?” Julia tugged on his hand. David nearly crashed into the footbath, momentarily steadying himself on the side of the sofa.

“Every half-decent makeshift birthday party needs a Colin The Caterpillar.”

“A what?” Julia asked, curiously.

“Sorry, you don’t know what a Colin The Caterpillar cake is?” David said incredulously.

“Childhood birthdays spent with stranger’s children, remember?” He smiled again, she had told him that. He leaned down for a quick peck on her lips before he hurried towards the door. He watched through the window again as Ella rushed back in with cream in hand, her joy evident as she sat down to inspect her work so far. He heard the odd whooshing sound again, instant bubbles forming in the water as Charlie giggled. He’d half expected Julia to look back at him, desperate to be saved from overexcited children, but her eyes never turned to meet his. Happy, he slipped out the door.

 

“Ella, can you light the candles please?” Julia and Charlie chatted in the background as Ella put her finishing touches on a classic store-bought cake. The kitchen looked a mess, but David felt it was the first time Julia’s lovely, but very-much-still-bearing-the-marks-of-no-fuss-single-woman-ownership, flat had looked like what he’d call a real home. The usually neatly kept island suddenly full of frosting, chocolate, sprinkles and confetti leftovers, as Ella had worked hard on making a simple cake into a masterpiece. This was how Ella showed love. She had a skill for making something out of nothing.

“Daddy? Is it alright to be happy mummy had to work today?” Ella asked, eyes averted as she studied the floor. 

“Yes, of course.” He put a lighter on the counter; eyes narrow as he looked at his young daughter curiously. “You can feel however you want, love. You know we’re not trying to keep you from being a part of things, don’t you? We’re just trying not to rush anything.”

“Maybe sometimes you could just ask me and Charlie instead. We’re not little anymore, you know. Most of my friends have divorced parents; we know you and mummy aren’t going to live together again. And we like Julia too. We actually wanted to celebrate her birthday; we’d already made a card. Charlie drew it at school last week and I wrote in it.”

David was taken aback. They’d moved forward slowly. Carefully. Thinking of, and perhaps over thinking, everything as he had made the end of his marriage official. Introducing Julia into their lives slowly, for their sakes and for hers. It had felt natural, but he’d tried hard not to get lost in how good it had felt at the time. “You’re absolutely right. You’re so smart, Ella.”

“Are you trying to reinforce positive characteristics?” David gaped, as Ella continued, while carefully putting sprinkles on top of the frosting. “Julia said that earlier, that your doctor is helping you to be more patient, and teaching you to reinforce positive characteristics. You know, daddy, Charlie doesn’t cry anymore. He really loves school now.”

“Aye, I know.” His breath caught in his throat. He felt shaky.

“No, dad. I mean he really loves it. He used to cry all the time at night and not tell anyone. And he didn’t want me to tell you either because before you’d just tell him to stop it. But crying isn’t bad, dad. I’m really glad your doctor’s told you that.” Ella said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. With confidence that only a pre-teen could have.

“I’m so very lucky to have you for a kid.”

“Maybe we could be here more now, in the summer? I asked mummy but she said you might need to get better first. But I’m really proud of you, daddy.” David nodded firmly, begging the tears that threatened to spill onto his cheeks to stay as they were, while Ella grabbed the plate with a colorful Colin and the lighter before walking towards the living room.

“Is that cake green?” Julia said as she walked past a joyous Ella, and entered the kitchen. 

“Ella covered it with green frosting.” David said, a frog in his throat as he tried to fight what he knew was coming. And there they were. Telltale salty tears, slowly making their way down his cheeks.

“David?” Julia rushed around the kitchen island, cupping his face in her hands as she took him in. She pressed a soft kiss against his lips, and David rested his head against the warm comfort of her neck as he tried to express how he felt.

“It’s nothing bad. Ella just…” He leaned back, her nimble fingers quickly wiping his tears as he looked at her again. “I’m very lucky.”

“Yes, you are. They’re so wonderful. You’ve done a great job with them.” She felt unsure. It felt clear that while he meant the words just as they sounded, there was a deeper meaning to them that she hadn’t been let in on yet.

“When Vicky asked me to move out, I didn’t think I’d ever get to have this again. And that was the worst part. I thought I’d have to settle for pretending I thought we were a real family even though we weren’t. You know, for birthdays and Christmas. It’s just worked out different to what I thought. And I feel really lucky. My kids are so happy, and they’re wise too.” Julia patted the last of the tears off his face, as strong arms wrapped around her, drawing her against his warm body. His head bent towards her neck, kissing slowly up towards her ear as he whispered. “And my girlfriend is very, very nice. And she smells really good too.”

“Well, she did think she’d spend the rest of the day naked.” Her hands reached around his back, hands slipping into his back pockets as his lips worked wonders, tracing along her jaw.

“And she’s looking very sexy in…” David murmured against her lips as he looked down between them. “Cardboard slippers. Did Ella do that?”

“She’s really very clever. She just cut up a box and used a stapler.”

“Your toes are very wrinkly.” He looked up at her with gleeful wonderment.

“Yes,” Julia sighed. “There’s a look into the future. Ella’s been refilling the footbath from the kettle to keep it nice and warm. And we’ve been home for two hours. Though I have to say, it’s not the worst way to finish your work day, your feet stuck in warm water with tiny hands giving you a head massage.”

“Sometimes they’re a handful, sometimes they’re handy. Welcome to life with children.” David winked. He kissed her neck, enjoying the scent of lingering perfume as he stepped back. He walked across the kitchen, quickly trying to clean up the worst of the mess they’d made, as they’d put everything together.

“Shall we eat my Calvin cake now?” Julia had watched him work, leaned against the counter, carefully removing dollops of frosting and licking it off her finger. She smiled, happy to find David smiling back, a naughty glint in his eye as he walked towards to sink to wash his hands. Her counter wasn’t immaculate, but it did seem heartwarmingly more lived-in than it did before. “I promised the children we could eat cake before _and_ after dinner, because apparently there is such a thing as birthday rules.” 

“Colin. It’s _Colin_ the Caterpillar. Love, it’s a long-standing British tradition, how do you not know about this?” He turned, shaking his head lovingly as he dried his hands on the little potato-decorated kitchen towel Charlie had brought them a month ago.

“Well, clearly I lived a lesser life before I met you.” She said, a joking tone as she uttered the words, but every ounce of it truthful. She hadn’t been living a bad life, it had just been less. And he hadn’t either, it had just been rudimentary.

“Clearly.” David chuckled as he kissed her. Lips resting on hers as he enjoyed the magic of an every day moment. His children gleefully discussing who would get the second piece of cake, and why. New love standing right in front of him. Alive, and all the things he’d never expected her to be. Her lips soft as he kissed them over and over, her tiny sighs tickling against him before they looked at each other and knew it was time to join her little makeshift birthday party for four. Loving arms wrapped around him from behind, as she pushed him along towards the living room, cake spade and plates in hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Colin the Caterpillar is an English cake from Marks & Spencers that looks bloody delicious and I'm super jealous I don't get to have it for my birthday. So happy belated birthday, Jules!


End file.
